“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Let’s drink,” Kildo Hammerhand mumbled under his breath. Touching his amulet around his neck, he recited his mantra, but more out of habit than anything resembling reverence. He sat in a tavern called The Dragonriders. Warm light illuminated the room. To the left sat a curved bar with recessed shelves held small kegs and bottles. To the right a burning hearth with a good-sized white dragon head mounting hung overhead. Circular metal chandeliers suspended by chains lit the room. A stairway led to the second floor. The tavern was a burst of talk and laugher with the tinkling of plates and glasses. He pushed his last five copper pieces to the barmaid who had sat the mug of ale in front of him.
The waitress asked, “You’re a cleric of Rigga? The Earthmother of Life, Fertility, and Family?”
“Aye,” Kildo said as he looked into his beverage. It had a strong smell of yeast, hops, and barley. It was a quality drink, not watered down, and something the bartender knew a dwarf would spot instantly. He saw his distorted, dwarven reflection in the amber color. His hair was flame red with a shaven mohawk that extended into a pony-tail down part of his back. He had blue tattoos of his patron Rigga that appeared magically on his face one morning a few months ago. His beard was woven into three long braids, the shortest in the middle. All had copper claps holding each weave together.
“Please, bless my baby.”
“Woit?” Kildo glanced and noticed the human woman touching her swollen stomach. She was in the family way. Sighing, he held up his hand and began to mutter, “Rigga-”
“Wait!” The woman interrupted him as she grabbed his thick, heavy hand and placed it on her belly. Breathing out deeply she continued, “Now.”
Clearing his throat, Kildo began again, “Rigga bless this woman…”
“Claire.”
“Right, Rigga bless this woman, Claire and bless her child. Grant them health in their life ahead. Free of poverty, disease, plagues, and sickness…”
“Thank you-” Claire said before being interrupted.
“And also from any baby eating goblins, hobgoblins, dragons, demons, devils, orcs, especially from that cursed ‘Proud Boys’ clan’…”
“Thank you-“ Claire continued before being interrupted again.
“And especially from undead. Those be some right nasty pieces of work fur sure,” Kildo concluded. He then felt a bump in Claire’s abdomen. The baby had moved. It brought a slight smile to his face.
“Uh, thank you?” Clair stammered at the unorthodox blessing and pulled away. Taking the copper coins, she looked him over, and asked, “Are you needing work?”
“The goddess be having an incessant need fer me to be traveling, so I can not be stuck in a tavern. However, even she can’t be stopping me from drinking, so when I be done, I be moving on, until I have enough coin to be drinking again. Such is the life I’m to lead it be seeming,” Kildo sighed heavily and took a small drink. “Whatever the goddess be saying, I be doing, but doesn’t mean I be liking it.”
“I’ve been waitressing for a while and seen all types come and go. One thing I’ve observed is a man, or a dwarf, with a desire to be miserable will find many ways to become so,” Claire said and then continued, “Wait right here.”
Kildo snorted, why would he leave? Before his beer had arrived, his life felt out of control. After drinking his beer, he’d feel good about his life being out of his control. He took a few gulps when Claire returned with another dwarf. He was dressed as a sailor with a thick but faded red coat with off-white pants with tough leather boots. He donned a high-brimmed tricorn hat with two blue feathers sticking out the front. He had a short dingy-blond beard. However, his most striking feature was a deep scar down his right eye, which was replaced by what appeared to be a green emerald.
"Ahoy, matey. Me name be Quint Halfbeard and I be Captain of the Emerald Eel. I be looking for a ship’s surgeon and Claire be telling me ye be a cleric of Rigga,” Quint said.
“Aye.”
“I be a man of few words, so all of me crew has signed on for their own reasons, and those reasons don't be mattering. So as long as ye do yer jobs and follow me orders, you'll do well aboard me ship and ye can trust in the sea to provide,” Quint continued.
“Bah, I be trusting iron and stone, the true friends of dwarves. A dwarf doesn’t belong on the high seas,” Kildo said.
“Well, I be a dwarf. So, if one dwarf can sail on the high seas, then another can too,” Quint explained. “Aboard me boat, the work is short, the beer is strong, and the tales are long.”
Kildo looked at Quint and then to Claire, who was smiling broadly, rubbing her hands on her belly, and shaking her head in approval. He felt his empty coin pouch. He needed to earn money and keep moving, so it was likely Rigga might have a hand in this meeting. There was one way to be sure. He removed his holy symbol necklace and detached it from the chain. He spun it on the table. After a moment, it landed on the front side up.
Quint looked on in curiosity as it stopped. “I be knowing you be believing in your goddess. Let’s see how far she be taking ye on me ship.”
Kildo retrieved, reattached the holy symbol, and said, “It looks like ye found yerself a ship’s surgeon.
“A toast then as many adventures lie ahead. May every battle lead to victory and every victory lead to celebrations with plenty of beer. Yer payment will be one share of any loot and fees paid.We be setting sail with the morning light tomorrow, so best be having yer fun here in port while ye've got the chance. We got a mixed load for me next run, cargo and passengers. Ye can be introducing yerself to the rest of me crew once we're underway. Me first mate, Ghald Fourarms, will have the duty rosters posted by the time ye arrive. Come to the docks in the morning and ask for me ship, the Emerald Eel."
* * *
The following day, Kildo arrived at the port and was pointed to a ship. Raising his hands to help block out the morning sun, it was a merchant ship with three thick masts. At the front of the ship, written in large, green letters was the words Emerald Eel. Adjusting to the bright light, he saw the crew bustling to unfurrow the main mast lines, adjust the rigging, and tie down flapping sails. There was a squat man standing at the raised aft of the ship behind a massive, wooden wheel. Walking across the docks and up two wooden planks, on the left, port side of the ship, the deck was slick with moisture, and smelled of vinegar, which the crew used to clean mold and mildew from the ship’s planks.
“Name?”
Kildo’s eyes went wide. In front of him was a four armed sahuagin baron. It was green-skinned with black spots and darker on the back and lighter on the belly. Easily clearing 6’ feet tall he was fish-like with webbed feet and hands, gills, and a finned tail. There was additional webbing down the back, at the elbows and, notably, also where human ears would be.
“Uh, Kildo Hammerhand.”
“Ah, the ship’s surgeon, finally. Traveling light I see. Good. I’m Ghald Fourarms, the first mate. Your infirmary and lucky you, private quarters, are on the third level in the aft section of the ship. That’s the back part.” The sahuagin baron’s voice was a little unsettling, like someone speaking while gargling water. “Welcome aboard old chum.”
Snorting, Kildo replied, “Never be calling a dwarf about to board a boat ‘chum’.
“Ah, a joke and was just adding a little merriment.”
“By and large us dwarves not be known as a merry folk,” Kildo commented.
“Is everyone aboard?” Captain Quint shouted from the aft section of the ship, near the wooden wheel.
“Yes sir! The doc just signed in!”
“Good, gather me crew around on the deck!”
Ghald Fourarms blew a loud, long whistle. After a few minutes, the crew emerged from below and from across the ship. He then nodded to the captain.
“Right, we have some new arrivals to the crew. Make yourself known to them, so there be no strangers. We be getting underway soon. We be heading to the island of Scarlet Peek. We have both supplies for the island and passengers. There be two groups. They be calling themselves, the Black Scars and the other be the Order of the Axe. They be adventures and be staying on their respective ends of the boat, so ye not be needing to worry about them. Now there be any questions?” Quint asked.
A triton, which resembled a half-elf who was standing nearby raised his hand and asked, “What’s going on the island?”
“For ye new members, this be Kai, the quartermaster. There be a scavenger hunt on the island this time of the year, so it be attracting a certain amount of mercenaries. They all be sponsored by some wealthy fop patrons,” Quint answered.
Kildo then raised his hand, and asked, “Are we be staying there for awhile once we arrive?”
“Kildo, who be our new surgeon. Only long enough to unload supplies and passengers,” Quint replied.
“Any more questions?” There was a pause of several heartbeats. Captain Quint said, “Well then, prepare the ship and get her underway.”
As the crew began to disburse, a powerfully built reptilian humanoid emerged from the mob. He had clawed hands, with a multi-colored casque on the top of its head, a long tail, and a protruding face with a lizard's nose and sharp yellow eyes along with a set of massive toothy jaws; a lizardfolk. He then pulled out a horn and blew. A soothing note passed over the ship and out to sea.
“What that be for?” Kildo asked.
“That iz for Tromokratis.”
“Zzee is going off about Tromokratis again! The name’s Guo Gan. I’m the bonsun of the ship,” said an elf coming up to Kildo.
“Tromokratis?
“Yez, Tromokratis. Tromokratis sends its wrath on coastal settlements, like this one and the one we are going to. Tromokratis is the most feared creature in the zea. When it arrives, it’ll be bigger than anything you’ll ever zee in your life. It will blot out the zun. It’s blue-gray carapace will be mesmerizing. However you won’t live long to zee it, as either its tentacles on one hand will pull you into its mouth, or its massive claw in the other will turn your body to pulp,” Zzee explained.
“I don’t even think it’s real,” Guo Gan replied.
“It iz! This iz no ordinary kraken. It’z a mile wide. It’z the most foul, cruel, and bad tempered creature you’ll ever zet your eyes on,” Zzee said and then added to Guo Gan. “I’m warning you. It’ll do you a treat mate.”
“Ah, don’t get the dwarf worried,” Guo Gan said.
Waiving off the elf, Zzee said, “If I zee it, I’m out. If you zee it you’re done. Zo, if you zee me dive over the water, follow.”
“Alright, get back to work!” the first mate Ghald Fourarms bellowed.
The rest of the day passed without incident. The passengers stayed below decks, as instructed by the captain.
The triton quartermaster Kai was making his rounds through the ship. On the forth and bottom, lower whale level of the Emerald Eel, he passed the quarters of the Black Scars, who were quartered in the aft part of that level. He heard muffled, but raised voices of conversation. He drew closer and pressed his ear to the door.
“…murder them in the middle of the night.”
“Do we need to kill all of them, or a specific one?”
“No, they all have to die. We’ll get them after midnight. Get some sleep.”
The conversation ended. Kai pondered the dialogue and quietly walked away and headed towards the captain’s quarters. He knocked on the door.
“Come!” Quint’s voice came from inside.
Entering the room, Quint said, “What be the problem?”
Kai began, “Sir, some of our guest are planning some nighttime murders.”
“Do they mean us or the other passengers?”
“I don’t know. We might want to have some men ready to intercept them. Can you order them to stay in their chambers?” Kai asked.
“Do you be thinking that’ll work on a group of murder hoboes?” Quint retorted. “We get our gold when we deliver them, so we can’t have paying passengers murdered by other passengers. However, I don’t want to risk me crew to save some land lovers.”
“We don’t have to let them fight to the death, but it would be good to discourage them,” Kai said.
“Get some officers and let them know they are on the night shift now. In the meantime, I’ll have a word with both sides,” Quint said.
“Yes sir,” Kai said and proceeded to leave.
“Wait,” Quint interrupted. “Bring the new doc with you, Kildo. Just in case there be a scuffle and someone that be needing patching up.”
* * *
“Hammerhand, Kai needs you in the situation room,” the first mate Ghald Fourarms said as he opened the door to Kildo’s quarters and announced.
Leaving the infirmary he followed Ghald to the second level off the starboard quarter and opened the door. Inside, Kildo saw triton quartermaster Kai, the elf bosun,Guo Gan, a half-dwarf, half-orc navigator, Mufi, and the lizardfolk crewmember Zzee.
“We’re pulling night duty,” Kai began.
“Ohhh!” complained everyone in unison. “Why?” Guo Gan asked.
“We need to keep the passengers from murdering each other,” Kai explained.
Guo Gan asked, “Why are they trying to murder each other?”
“I overheard the Black Scars talking that they were going to murder someone. Whether that is the Order of the Axe or us is unknown, but we are going to be there tonight to ensure that doesn’t happen, so get some rest and meet me at the lower whale of the ship before midnight,” Kai said and then from their grumbles added. “I don’t need any bellyaching. This was for notification purposes only.”
A little before midnight, the five crewmembers of the Emerald Eel met in the lower whale of the ship. The few low lit lanterns hung from the ceiling dimly illuminated the elongated oval room with wooden walls. Crates and hogs-head barrels were on the port and starboard side. A sudden upheaval of the room reminded them they were in the ship’s belly. The hull creaked loudly as the wood moved beneath their feet causing the lanterns to sway. The air had a salty taste to it.
Zzee made his way up several crates, but he made quite a bit of noise in his ascent. It was quite for about twenty minutes when the door at the forward part of the ship housing the Order of the Axe opened. Their symbol was two crossed battle axes. They looked surprised at seeing them.
“Oh, hello. What are you guys doing here?” one of the Order of the Axe asked.
Kai said, “Taking inventory.”
“At midnight?”
Zzee from on top of one of the crates, his hiding position was revealed as he was right next to a lantern, asked as he climbed down, “Where are you going?”
“Uh, fresh air. The atmosphere is a little stuffy down here.”
Kai looked them over and replied, “Yes, fresh air. Then why are you bristling with weapons and armor, if you only need fresh air?”
“One never knows if Tromokratis might attack,” the Order of the Axe member replied.
Zzee nodded rapidly and pointed in knowing excitement to the Order of the Axe.
“I see,” Kai said ignoring Zzee’s vindication and continued. “I believe the captain would prefer you to stay below deck.”
“We have rights-” the Order of the Axe member began to say before being interrupted.
The door at the aft, back section of the ship opened up and members of the Black Scars began to file out. They had a jagged symbol, like a scar, on white background. They were also fully armed and armored. One of them yelled, “What’s all of this noise going on out here!?”
Both sides began to grip their weapons tightly.
“Alright! Kai shouted. “I want both groups back in your quarters, or we’ll set you both adrift and you can row to Scarlet Peek!”
The groups eyes each other and slowly filed back in and closed their doors. A few moments later, sounds of moving furniture came from inside both rooms. They were barricading themselves in. Probably for the best.
The crisis adverted, the five crew of the Emerald Eel began to look for the most comfortable spots, if there were any, to settle down for the rest of their shift.
“Aaaah!”
Quickly followed were the sounds of metal striking metal. There was fighting behind the doors to the Black Scars.
Kai tried the aft door, but it was blocked from the other side. The triton stepped back and rammed his shoulder between the double doors. He could catch glimpses. Somehow, the Order of the Axe had teleported inside and the two groups were fighting. “Help me get these doors open!”
Zzee also rammed the doors. They opened a bit wider, pushing the blockage away.
Guo Gan, the elf then followed helping Zzee and got one of them open. He shouted, “If you don’t knock it off I’m going to throw all of your stuff overboard!” He then slapped one of the Black Scar combatants.
“Ow!”
“Get back in your room!”
“I’m already in my room!”
“You need to stop fighting!” Guo Gan yelled.
With one of the doors open, Kai reached in and grabbed the first person he could. The triton pulled out one of the Order of the Axe members and dragged him out and across the room.
Mufi the half-orc, half dwarf navigator advanced to grab another when a bright light preceded an explosion in the Black Scar’s room. Heat, flame, and the concussion traveled across the area knocking everyone down.
Several heartbeats of silence followed as people started to recover and stand back up.
The remaining Order of the Axe member shook his head, clearing any confusion, and said, “Yeah, I think I’ll go back to my room. I don’t even know how I got over there in the first place.”
Kai looked in the Black Scar’s room. Pieces of bodies and several crates were in fragments. No one could have possibly survived. The only thing that saved them was the crates that were used to block the door to absorb the explosion.
The first mate, Ghald Fourarms the sahuagin baron came running down the stairs from above, his feet flapping, and shouted, “What in the Seikolah’s teeth is going on down here!?”
Kai clearing the ringing from his hears said, “The two groups of passengers started fighting each other and we were trying to separate them. Somehow, the Order of the Axe was able to get in the Black Scar’s side. When we opened the door, the room exploded. The only one to survive was this guys who I pulled out of the room moments before.”
The sahuagin baron used all four hands and grabbed the Order of the Axe adventurer and said, “You have a meeting with the captain. You five start fixing the boat.”
Kildo muttered, “Dammit Ghald, I’m a surgeon not a bosun.” He then entered the Black Scar’s room. It was carnage. It smelt of burnt hair, wood, and to his horror and surprise cooked meat. Body parts, weapons, bits of armor and unrecognizable belongings were strewn everywhere. He then touched his holy symbol and casted; detect magic. Four items began to radiate an aura. Two long swords, a shield, a pair of boots, feet still included, and a ring on part of a separated finger.
Kai came behind him and said, “Good job Hammerhand. These poor bastards are beyond your help, so get these items inventoried and secure. Guo Gan start checking for damage. The rest of you are on brain detail. Gather the bits and we’ll have a short ceremony before putting them overboard.”
The repairs to the room took the rest of the night. While there was some binge water, the leaks were plugged. There was a sense the integrity of the hull was intact.
“Alright, ye supposed to be keeping the passengers apart, not be letting them blow themselves up and sink me ship,” Captain Halfbeard said entering the room as the party members finished up their work. “First, is me boat going to sink?”
Guo Gan the bonsun said, “No.”
Mufi the half-orc, half-dwarf navigator said, “We didn’t cause the explosion, but we repaired it and kept it from sinking.”
“Yes, that be your job.”
“None of the others came down,” Mufi replied.
“No, because they be doing their jobs,” Halfbeard retorted. “Now, I be talking to this Order of the Axe lad ye pulled out. Unfortunately, he be not one of the smart ones and didn’t have much to tell. Both groups were looking to kill each other off for the contest on Scarlet Peek. However, it be occurring to me there be an opening in this contest. Possibly two depending on the gent unstairs.”
Kai asked, “What do you know about it captain?”
“It be a scavenger hunt from some wealthy fops, which that extra prize would be nice as part of our booty for this trip. However, we be needing volunteers from the ship. It be a five man crew. So, are you five up to it?” Halfbeard asked eying each of the group.
Mufi asked, “So, once we win the ultimate prize, what’s the split?”
Halfbeard walked up to Mufi, looked up at the half-dwarf, half-orc, and stared hard with his one good eye and said, “Listen, dorc, you be out on the open sea trying to negotiate with yer captain? There be a special place where those things happen at the bottom of the ocean.”
Mufi laughed nervously and said, “Oh, I’m just punching your balls captain.”
“Don’t punch me balls. Also, as a reminder ye be having to get back to land from that island. So, if ye not be going, then I can be getting someone else,” Halfbeard said.
The five members looked to each other and they all nodded in agreement.
“You have yourself a scavenger hunt team, captain,” Kai said. “Captain, can we talk to the Order of the Axe member to get some information from him about the contest.”
“That be a good idea. Ghald be having him in me situation room.”
The party went up to the top deck and entered. There was a long wooden table with six chairs and a few port holes letting in sun light. The sahuagin baron had his four arms folded looking down at the Order of the Axe passenger.
“Are you here to take him back below?” Ghald asked?
“Captain said we can talk to him about the contest on Scarlet Peek,” Kai said.
“Talk to them,” Ghald said nudging the human and sat down.
“What’s your name?” Kai asked the Order of the Axe.
“Imago.”
“So Imago, what are you supposed to do once you disembarked on the island?” Kai asked.
“We are supposed to go and win the contest.”
“How do you win it?”
“It’s a scavenger hunt. We scavenge for things.”
“Scavenge what? Babies?”
“We find out when we get there,” Imago replied.
Zzee asked, “Who hired you?”
“We were recruited from a bar. Some bloke came in and yelled, ‘Hey anyone want to be in a scavenger hunt team?’”
Kai asked, “So were you trying to eliminate the competition?”
“We found out they were going to murder us, so we murdered them right back,” Imago retorted.
Kai sighed. He pounded on the table loudly and leaned in hard towards Imago, “Let me offer you a friendly piece of advice. Your value to the Captain is slightly under bilge water. So, we can either toss you into the seas, or you start improving your capital position by telling us what we need to know.”
“Listen, it doesn’t need to be this way. Deliver me to the island as promised and I can still enter the scavenger hunt,” Imago said.
“You realize your team is in bits and pieces,” Kai said.
“We can still salvage this situation. I know! We can all be on one team,” Imago said. “I can be the team leader.”
The group began to mumble in disagreement. However, Kai held up his hands for quiet and said, “Alright team leader. How many people are on a team? Tell us what we need to know?”
“I don’t know. Teams are five, maybe six people. I won’t know anything until we get there and we get the list at the same time,” Imago replied.
Kai’s face began to go red in annoyance and clenched and unclenched his hands. All he said in a barely controlled tone was, “Get out.”
* * *
“Land-ho!”
The crew of the Emerald Eel glanced to the forward section of the ship. In the distance was the outland of an island; Scarlet Peek. Within the next couple of hours, the island itself wasn’t that big. It’s central feature was a mountain on the north side with some smoke coming out of it. Hills and a forested area were to the west. Pulling into a bay port, there were several other vessels of different sizes and makes, both larger and smaller. There were a lot of smaller fishing boats. There was a village close to the docks and to the east some additional houses, but were larger and looking down at the rest of the village.
“Everyone be staying here,” Captain Quint said and the gang plank was lowered. “Be keeping an eye on our remaining passenger.” The dwarven captain headed into town. Within the hour he returned and gathered the crew scavenger hunt team in the situation room.
“Right, ye don’t be needed to pretend you are part of the Black Scars. The be starting the hunt when ten groups are present. Eight be accounted for, so I be entering you all as the crew of the Emerald Eel. Ye be one and that Order of the Axe feller be the second group,” Captain Halfbeard said.
“Captain, Hammerhand identified some of those items from the deceased passengers as magical, do you think we might be able to use those?” Kai asked.
As if on queue, the Ghald Fourarms entered with the items in his hands and placed them on the table.
“Nice!”
Kai and Zzee each took a long sword. Guo Gan grabbed a pair of boots, Mufi put on the ring, and Kildo grabbed the shield.
There was several heartbeats of silence in the room and the group admired their new items.
“What e be waiting for? A personal invitation? Go!” Halfbeard hollered. As the group exited the room, he added. “Don’t be forgetting to win!”
In short order, the group fully equipped, found themselves in Scarlet Peek’s village. Easily spotted were people in groups of five that appeared more like mercenaries and were armed and armored. However, they each seemed to have their own theme going. The rest of the inhabitants in the village were fisherman with some merchants selling their wares. Next to an enrollment booth for the scavenger hunt were shops selling shirts and hats, similar to what the other groups were wearing.
“We need a theme! We need a theme!” Mufi shouted in excitement standing next to the shirts.
“Alright,” Sighing Kai went up to the merchant and said, “Five green shirts and bandanas.”
“Ten silver.”
Handing over the coins, Kai passed out the clothing and motioned them over to the sign up booth. “We are the crew from the Emerald Eel. We’re here to sign up.”
An elderly gentlemen sat at a chair and looking up said, “Green team, check.”
“No, the Emerald Eel,” Kai corrected.
“Sure, the Eels. Go wait by the stage in town square for the announcement.”
Entering deeper into the town, they spotted the other teams of mercenaries. They were assessing them, but upon the group donning the green shirts and headgear, they started to chuckle and stopped. Assessing the other teams, they seemed to be a good mix of people. They all seemed competent. Some had wizards, some not. They then spotted Imago with what appeared to be four homeless guys he must have picked up from the village.
They waited about fifteen minutes, when an extinguished older woman walked onto the stage. She had a piece of paper with her, cleared her throat, and began to read for all to hear. “Since the dawn of time, man has sought amusement and intellectual stimulation in the form of…games! For centuries man has improved and perfected countless varieties of…games! But there has not been a major breakthrough until today! You have been invited to participate in this glorious event.”
There were murmurs in the crowd.
“Welcome to the most challenging adventure of your life. We have the list of items for the scavenger hunt at the front. One person from each group is to come up and get their list. Then, you have 24 hours and whichever group has the most items will be declared the winner.”
The groups began to talk among themselves in excited tones.
The woman from the stage then yelled, “And go!”
The ten groups scrambled and nine of them headed to the booth.
“Go, Kai!” Mufi yelled
Kai shrugged his shoulder and followed the other team members. He returned shortly with two pieces of paper in his hands. One was a rough, high-level map of the island. The other was the list of items. The group gathered around and the triton presented it. In nice calligraphy where the following words, except the last which seemed to have been hastily written where the ink has been smeared.
· 1 Intact conch shell
· 1 Truffle
· 1 Giant crab claw
· 1 Dragon scale
· 1 Purple, wide-brim hat
And
· 1 Goblin boss head
“Hats! I saw a purple, wide-brim hat at the hat stand!” Mufi shouted in excitement.
The message caused the other nearby teams to turn their heads. There was then a moment where time stopped. Everything in the moment was perfectly paused. Then, an instant later there was a mad dash of feet and bodies towards the merchant area.
The crew of the Emerald Eel followed the crowd towards the hat merchant.
“Hold on! I’ll get it!” Mufi said as he dove into the throng of mercenaries and disappeared. There was a great fanfare of pushing, shoving, and elbowing. However, within a minute the half-dwarf, half-orc navigator emerged with a purple, wide brim hat in his hands.
“Got it!” Mufi bellowed in triumph. “It was five gold.”
“Five gold?!” the rest of the group said in unison.
“Yeah, it was like he knew it was going to be on the scavenger list or something,” Mufi said.
Kai took the hat from Mufi and after examining it for a moment, handed it to Kildo and said, “Here Hammerhand hold the hat. Now, looking at the next item…1 intact conch shell. There should be one we can find along the beach.”
The crew noticed the other nine groups began to fan out from the village to the north, east and south. The Emerald Eel team started heading west along the beach front. As they were walking for a good half-hour, Kildo heard a crunch beneath his feet. Digging, he found a conch shell, but it was already partially broken before his foot cracked the rest. “Here might be a good spot to look.”
“Right,” Kai said and waded into the water. He was down there for a good length of time, but being an amphibious triton, he was probably fine. Then a little ways out, a hand rose from the sea. Squinting, it was holding a fully intact conch shell. Kai then emerged with the item, handed it to Kildo, and patted him on the shoulder. The group now had two items.
They kept moving west down the shores to find any hint of large crabs.
Zzee then announce as he was examining the beach, “Zoft zand. Crabs like digging in zoft zand. Be on the lookout.”
Pulling out their weapons, their search slowed looking for any signs.
‘Clack.’
“Did you hear something?” Guo Gan asked.
‘Clack. Clack. Clack.’
“Giant Crabs!” Guo Gan shouted
Nine creatures burrowed up from the sand. Their two large claws snapping menacingly. They were surrounded.
Zzee slashed at the nearest one with his longsword. It chipped some of the creature’s shell.
Mufi began casting and a numbing frost began to form on another.
Kai also attacked one near him, thrusted at it and striking with his longsword. The tip went into the creature, killing it.
Guo Gan and Kildo also attacked, but the giant crabs were swift and moved out of the way. Besides, the two crabs the party attacked, the other six began to wander away. The group then made short work of them and Kai picked up one of the carcasses and ran out of the crab’s hunting grounds.
“That’s three items,” Kai said handing the claw to Kildo. “So, anyone know how to find a truffle?”
The group shook their heads no.
“All I know is that they are buried in the ground near trees. However, looking at the map, there be a hermit hut. Maybe he be knowing where to find them,” Kildo said.
“No, every hermit I’ve met has been crazy,” Kai said.
“Maybe he has truffle sniffing pigs?” Kildo reasoned.
Kai was about to argue further, when he saw the rest of the group nod their heads at the reasonable possibility, and conceded, “I think it’s a waste of time, but if you all want to go, that’s fine.”
They started to head towards the hermit’s hut. In about an hour, the found a hut nestled up against the forest’s trees. It was surprisingly in decent shape, but from the size likely only had one room. There was a fire going, but no one outside and no pig pins.
Kai’s eyes narrowed at the dwarf Kildo, but walked up to the hut’s door and politely knocked.
“Hello?”
“What?!” came a gruff voice from inside. The door then burst open and an older human in his sixties emerged.
“Greetings, old man,” Kai said
“I’m thirty seven!” There was a long pause and then he continued, “What do you people want?”
“We were hoping you can help us find truffles in this area,” Kai answered.
“Why would I do that?”
“You would be rewarded handsomely,” Mufi said.
“With what?”
“A sword?” Mufi shrugged.
“I live in a hut near a forest. What would I need a sword for?”
“For the goblins,” Mufi answered.
“I’m not worried about any goblins.”
Kai then said, “Do you know where any truffles are?”
“Yes, but what would I get in return?”
Mufi said, “Thanks, gratitude, and if you have any problems with wandering bands of murder hoboes while we are on the island, we’ll have your back.”
“Murder hoboes?”
“Yes, they are going to be on your doorstep.”
“Well it looks like I’m going to need to make a sign. No Truffles!”
“So, is there anything we can do,” Mufi asked.
“I do have this fence that needs to be painted.”
“Really?” Mufi asked looking around for this ‘fence’.
“No, just punching your balls,” the hermit said.
Kai stepped up and said, “So, how do we get truffles?”
“There are two main ways. One, dig randomly around until you find said truffle. Or two, go to the other side of the island and pick some up from the rich fops that be in those villas. Any one of them is going to have one sort or another of some truffles,” the hermit explained.
“So, you don’t have a way to find truffles?” Kai confirmed.
“Nope.”
Guo Gan then asked the hermit, “I didn’t catch your name?”
“I didn’t throw it at you.”
Kai then asked, “We have this list of items we need to find.”
“Ah, the scavenger hunt. That makes more sense,” the hermit scoffed.
“Have you seen or have any of these items?” Kai questioned handing the hermit the list.
Pondering it over, the hermit said, “This is the crazies list I’ve seen. A dragon scale and a boss goblin head? I haven’t seen any goblins on this island. I don’t even know where they’d come from. Maybe a boat? That is a weird one. The way its written on that piece of paper it seems like a bonus item.”
Kai asked, “Is there a goblin in town maybe called ‘boss’?”
“I’m a hermit. I don’t go to town.”
“Fine, is there a dragon?” Kai asked.
“There used to be a dragon, but its been dead for an age, but it used to live in a cave in that volcano,” the hermit said and then pointed to the mountain far off to the northeast.
Guo Gan then asked, “Have you heard of any scavenger hunters being murdered?”
“I don’t participant in the island activities and I haven’t seen or heard of any murders. I just want to be left alone.”
Kai said, “Thank you for your help.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Now, I’ve got to go make a sign.”
Mufi asked, “Do you want any money?”
“No, I don’t need money.”
“Thanks again!”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
Walking a ways from the hermit’s hut, Kai gathered the crew. “Something doesn’t feel right. There’s something going on.”
Kildo said, “I be agreeing. Something be going on.”
Guo Gan then asked, “So, where do we go now, Kai?”
“To find answers. We go straight east to the rich side of town. Hillside Manors.”
06/12/2021 – Treasure
· Shield +1
· Longsword +1
· Longsword +1
· Ring of Protection +1
· Boots of Striding and Springing
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